Ryan Caudle of Nashville’s “Sound and Shape” has always been an enigmatic recurring character in my life. When I was in high school and going to local shows more freely and frequently (thanks, in part, to the worlds greatest ’83 El Camino), Caudle was fronting one of my favorite local groups: Oliver’s Army. This was the band in town that did the best job of framing the late 90’s/early 00’s math-y emo sound that was fresh and identifiable to me at the time. They were every bit as good as Thursday or On The Might of Princes and fronted by this brooding dark songwriter with a voice suspiciously like Elvis Costello: Ryan Caudle.
Eventually that band dissolved, my musical interests shifted, and The Sound and Shape were born. They toured extensively in the late 2000s and put out some material that I, for the most part, ignored. The sound was proggy and frantic somewhere between Santana’s Abraxas and Rush. Despite losing my attention, this is a band that has earned the right to be called undeniably good in all that they do.
This new 4 song EP, “Now Comes the Mystery” really gets back to Caudle’s roots as a great songwriter and not just a capable conductor of grand prog-rock. The solid structure of the music on this release is grounded well with guitar textures that don’t demand the spotlight and melodic arrangement worthy of great baroque-pop groups like The Zombies. The band bravely adds an acoustic ballad for the second track which (although it rubs me the wrong way at first) proves to be a pretty good and very mature effort. “The Sacred and Profane” is a great urgent sounding tune with hints of power pop like The Soft Boys, vocals that remind me of Steely Dan, and a grand guitar hook chorus suggesting bands like The Mars Volta. It closes with my favorite track, “Bells at Twelve.” “Bells…” gives me the same feeling Oliver’s Army used to back in high school. It’s a soaring anthem in 6/8 that is thick with flowing textures and gripping tension. I would say this particular track gives the same thoughtful vibes as anything from George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass.” All together, this is a solid release and has certainly turned my attention back to the band. Give these guys a listen and order a copy of the EP or just download it at their bandcamp page.
-Mikey
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